Hong Kong gourmets pay €90,000 for giant truffle

A group of Hong Kong gourmets has paid £61,000 (€90,600) for a huge Italian white truffle at an international auction.

The winning bidders then donated the delicacy to a charity, which sold it to a Taiwanese man.

The rare fungus, weighing 2.7lbs, arrived in Hong Kong yesterday from Italy, said Eva Lui, a spokeswoman for the Ritz Carlton hotel, which hosted the Hong Kong part of the auction.

Truffles grow underground with tree roots. They are eaten uncooked or shaved into pasta, salad, omelettes and other dishes.

The group of Hong Kong people – who were not identified – outbid other competitors to win the prized delicacy – found in Alba, Italy – in the satellite-linked auction, held simultaneously on Sunday in Hong Kong, London, and Grinzane, Italy.

The group bought the truffle to donate it to Mother’s Choice, a local charity that cares for pregnant girls and organises adoptions.

Mother’s Choice has resold the truffle to an unidentified Taiwanese man, who bought it for about £52,000 (€77,300), said Ranjan Marwah, the charity’s chairman.

The bidding started near £8,300 (€12,300), Marwah said.

“Every time our bid topped all theirs, the whole room full of these extremely wealthy and generous people clapped like we just won the Nobel Prize,” Marwah said.

When the Hong Kong group won, it was “pandemonium”.